Neil Shicoff was born in Brooklyn, New York. He studied at the Juilliard School of Music and with his father, the celebrated cantor Sidney Shicoff. He made his professional debut as the title hero in Verdi´s Ernani conducted by James Levine in CINCINNATI in 1975. As early as 1976, he made his debut at the METROPOLITAN OPERA as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi conducted by James Levine.

Neil Shicoff starts the year 2003 at the METROPOLITAN OPERA NEW YORK as Don José in Carmen, which he is also going to perform at the TOKYO SUNTORY HALL and the OPERNHAUS ZURICH later in the year, followed by a NEW PRODUCTION of Un Ballo in Maschera at the LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO. In the summer, Neil Shicoff is going to star at the SALZBURG FESTIVAL in the role of Hoffman in a NEW PRODUCTION of Les contes d'Hoffmann.

Neil Shicoff opend the season 2001-2002 with his first solo concert (incl. CD production) together with the Munich Radio Orchestra conducted by M° Frederic Chaslin. Further highlights are the REVIVAL of Verdi's Don Carlo (title part) conducted by M° Lorin Maazel at the SALZBURG FESTIVAL, the film festival at the town hall square in Vienna (www.imz.at) in August 2001, and a LIVE broadcast of Verdi's Don Carlo (title part) from the WIENER STAATSOPER on September 2. Next on the agenda are the OPENING OF THE SEASON with a GALA CONCERT and a NEW PRODUCTION of Verdi's Luisa Miller (Rodolfo) at the METROPOLITAN OPERA NEW YORK, followed by a NEW PRODUCTION of Gounod's Romeo et Juliette (Romeo) directed by Jürgen Flimm and conducted by M° Marcello Viotti at the WIENER STAATSOPER. Furthermore, Neil Shicoff is going to sing a NEW PRODUCTION of Bizet's Carmen (Don José) at the OPERNHAUS ZÜRICH, Puccini's Tosca at the BAYERISCHE STAATSOPER and the concert version of La Juive (Eléazar) at the OPER DER STADT KÖLN.

Neil Shicoff opened the season 2000-2001 with a NEW PRODUCTION of Ernani at the TEATRO REAL MADRID conducted by M° Garcia Navarro. He returned to the VIENNA STATE OPERA in September as Eléazar in Halevy's opera La Juive. Other important highlights in Vienna included the NEW PRODUCTION of Britten's opera Billy Budd (Captain Vere) directed by Willy Decker and conducted by M° Donald Runnicles in February 2000. The artist returned to the METROPOLITAN OPERA NEW YORK for a NEW PRODUCTION of Verdi's Il Trovatore (Manrico) directed by Graham Vick and conducted by M° Carlo Rizzi . After Vienna, Zurich and Madrid, Neil Shicoff made his debut in the title part of Verdi's opera Ernani at the TEATRO COLON BUENOS AIRES in Argentina.

Neil Shicoff opened his season 1999-2000 at the VIENNA STATE OPERA with Ernani, followed by further productions of Eugen Onegin. Another highlight in his career was his debut as Eleazar in Halevy´s Opera La Juive at the VIENNA STATE OPERA. With this debut, Shicoff followed the footsteps of Enrico Caruso, Giovanni Martinelli, Leo Slezak and Richard Tucker. At the ZURICH OPERA, he appeared in Lucia di Lammermoor with Edita Gruberova and in Un Ballo In Maschera. In January 2000, he returned to the METROPOLITAN OPERA for a REVIVAL of Les Contes d´Hoffmann. In April 2000, Neil Shicoff toured Japan. He concluded his 2000 season with further performances of La Juive at the VIENNA STATE OPERA.

Neil Shicoff opened his 1998-1999 season with a new Graham Vick production of Verdi´s Don Carlo at the L´OPERA DE PARIS, followed by a new production of Verdi´s Ernani at the VIENNA STATE OPERA, another Graham Vicks production. He further appeared in Vienna in Peter Grimes and Eugen Onegin. In December, he made his debut at the WIENER MUSIKVEREIN, and appeared in a radio programme recorded with Dr. Haide Tenner at the THEATER AN DER WIEN before an audience of 1200 people. He was also awarded the title of 'Kammersänger' by the head of the VIENNA STATE OPERA, Ioan Holender, and appeared in a radio production of Il Tabarro in Munich. In April 1999, he will sing in a NEW PRODUCTION of Carmen at the TEATRO REAL DE MADRID, a NEW PRODUCTION of Luisa Miller, and give two concerts at the GRAN TEATRO DE LICEU. In May 1999, he will return to the ZURICH OPERA for further Ernani performances. In June, Neil Shicoff will come back to the VIENNA STATE OPERA. He will conclude the season of 1999 with a new production of Un Ballo in Maschera at the ZURICH OPERA.

Neil Shicoff began his 1997-1998 season with a return to the VIENNA STATE OPERA for the title roles in Don Carlo and Peter Grimes, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Cavaradossi in Tosca. He then starred in a new production of Ernani at the ZURICH OPERA. At the BAVARIAN STATE OPERA he sang Peter Grimes and Cavaradossi before repeating Don Jose in Carmen at the PARIS OPERA conducted by James Conlon and Cavaradossi at the DEUTSCHE OPER, Berlin. He appeared again as Peter Grimes in a new Willy Decker production at the HAMBURG STATE OPERA and returned to Zurich for Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera. Mr. Shicoff concludes the season giving joint concerts with Bryn Terfel at the HOLLYWOOD BOWL and TANGLEWOOD FESTIVAL.

Highlights of the seasons 1995-1997 include a return to the METROPOLITAN OPERA upon the twentieth anniversary of his debut for Lensky in a new production of Eugen Onegin conducted by Antonio Pappano and directed by Robert Carsen as well as for a gala concert with Bryn Terfel conducted by James Levine, his first Peter Grimes in a NEW PRODUCTION at the VIENNA STATE OPERA conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich and his first Manrico in a new production of Il Trovatore at the ZURICH OPERA conducted by Riccardo Chailly, as well as new productions of Les Contes d'Hoffmann and a televised Tosca at LA SCALA, Un Ballo in Maschera at the DEUTSCHE OPER, Berlin, Luisa Miller at NETHERLANDS OPERA, and Carmen at the PARIS OPERA and BAVARIAN STATE OPERA.